Bryce Harper has a new job.
The two-time NL MVP is on board with a move from the outfield to first base, a move that brought him back to the field last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Harper has seven years and $196 million remaining on his 13-year, $330 million contract, which pays him $25.4 million per year.
“I want to stay here a long time and understand that playing until I’m 40, that’s the most important thing for me,” he told reporters Sunday during spring training. “So I wanted to get it done.”
Bryce Harper in action against the Washington Nationals during a game at Citizens Bank Park on August 10, 2023. Getty Images
Harper spent the first 11 years of his career in the outfield, but returned as a designated hitter after his surgery.
He played first base for the first time on July 21 and made 36 starts there, including 13 in the postseason.
Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, met with Harper during the offseason to discuss a long-term move to the infield.
“We had a pretty good conversation, me and Dombo, we sat down and he said it would be great for our organization, and I said, OK,” Harper said. “I wanted them to know that I agreed with whatever they wanted to do. I said if you want me in right field, I’ll play right. If you want me at first, I’ll play first base, and I think as a collective they said first base is where we want you, and I said, OK, I’ll do everything I can to be there. »
Philadelphia lost in six games in the 2022 World Series to Houston and was eliminated in Game 7 of the NLCS at home last season against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Harper understands that the Phillies’ window to win is now.
“This is a window in which we have to win,” Harper said. “Our property deserves this. Our fans deserve it. Dombrowski deserves it too, and so do we.
Bryce Harper of the Phillies practices at first base before a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Thursday, April 20, 2023. PA
Harper is a seven-time All-Star, including four consecutive years from 2015-2018.
He has a career batting average of .281, with 306 home runs, 889 RBIs and an OPS of .912 which is fifth among active players behind Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Ronald Acuña Jr.
2024-02-18 21:45:57
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